Eric Reid and the 49ers will see how their playoff road shakes out. / Cary Edmondson, USA TODAY Sports

by Tom Pelissero, USA TODAY Sports

by Tom Pelissero, USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers still could end up as high as the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The more likely scenario has them defending their title on the road as a wild card.

"We're fine with any way it turns out," 49ers rookie safety Eric Reid told USA TODAY Sports on Friday, before the team departed for its regular-season finale at Arizona.

"We're just happy to be still in the race. We just want to keep playing football. No matter how we have to get there, we're going to take that role."

This is how jumbled the standings are, thanks in large part to the Seattle Seahawks' losses to the 49ers and the Cardinals over the past three weeks.

The 49ers hadn't even locked up a playoff spot before Monday's win over the Atlanta Falcons. Yet there is a scenario that could play out Sunday â?? the 49ers beat the Cardinals, the Seahawks lose to the St. Louis Rams at home and the Carolina Panthers lose or tie at Atlanta â?? that would send the NFC playoffs through San Francisco.

If the Cardinals beat the 49ers, they'd miss the playoffs at 11-5 unless the Saints lose to or tie the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in New Orleans. That omission would seem even sillier if the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers win their de facto division title games to enter the playoffs with nine and eight wins respectively â?? and one of them hosts an 11-win San Francisco team in Round 1.

Wouldn't the NFL be better off with an extra NFC West team in the postseason instead of anybody from the East or North this season anyway?

"Hey, I don't make the rules," Reid said. "That's an argument that I'm going to stay out of. I'm just going to keep playing."